Surviving
by StoriesFromStorybrooke
Summary: It had been over a month since the world had changed. A few days was all it had taken for pandemonium to break out and for widespread panic to ensue. People were turning against each other, the dead were not staying dead for long and trying to eat people, people tried to find safe havens but was there anywhere left that was safe anymore and who could you trust? These are the q
1. Chapter 1

It had been over a month since the world had gone to shit. A few days was all it had taken for pandemonium to break out and for widespread panic to ensue. People were turning against each other, the dead were not staying dead for long and trying to eat people, people tried to find safe havens but was there anywhere left that was safe anymore and who could you trust? These are the questions that faced the remaining living population, not that there was many of them left.

'We're gonna have to stop soon, it's getting hard and I don't know how much more my ankle can take' Jessica told her best friend as they traipsed through the wood together.

'I know just a little further and I'll find us a good tree to hold up in' Charlotte told her, keeping her bow ready.

To say these girls were out of their comfort zones and far from home, would be an undestatement. What started as a simple road trip through America turned into the most devastating thing that either of them had gone through.

'Char, I think I see something' Jess whispered

'Biter?'

'I don't know, it seems too still to be a biter'

Char stayed in the lead with her bow loaded and ready but still glanced back to make sure that nothing happened to her friend. Jess was the only person left in Char's life that she cared about and could look after. She had no idea what had happened to her family and knew that she never would. The two girls slowly made their way through the trees, trying their hardest not to make a sound but that was kind of impossible given that Jess has been walking on a sprained ankle for the past 3 days and it wasn't getting any better. They came to a clearing that was empty except for a body. A child's body.

'Is she dead?' Jess asked staying rooted to the spot but Char walked over and knelt down beside the child and tried to feel for a pulse.

'I think she's just unconscious. There's a pulse but it's weak'

'So what do we do?'

'Well we can't just leave her, she's only a little girl and you know what's out there'

'Is she bit?' Jess asked still wary of the situation that they were in. This could be a trap for all they knew. It's not as if they hadn't come across evil people before. Char checked all the places she could see thoroughly, wanting to be on the safe side

'No bites or scratches, not even a bit of blood.'

Jess let out a breath that she hadn't realised that she had been holding and finally approached the unconscious girl. 'Should we move her? Put her in the recovery position?' she questioned as she sat down against the trunk of a tree  
'I don't know. I don't think you're meant to move someone that's unconscious it can cause more damage than good. Listen you stay here with the girl, you have your knife and I won't be gone long'

'Where are you going?'

'To see if I can find anything to eat. I don't want to use our emergency food unless we have to, especially since we might have another mouth to feed.'

'Be safe' Jess told her best friend as she watched her walk away. She felt guilty everyday that Charlotte was the one to find their food and basically keep them alive. It's been like it since that start of ths horrible nightmare. Char had been the one to find supplies, weapons. Jess knew that she did contribute and tried to pull her weight but she wasn't as mentally strong or resourceful as her friend. And ever since she had sprained her ankle, she felt like even more of a burden. It was only 20 minutes until Charlotte returned to the clearing holding berries and nuts.

'No game?' Jess asked slightly disappointed

'I didn't want to go far, you know just incase' she said inclining her head towards the little girl that still lay unconscious.

They both sat and ate in silence being sure to leave some food for their new companion for when or if she ever woke up. After eating it was obvious that Char was deep in thought. She was trying to think of a plan that would keep all three of them alive. She didn't have much medical knowledge but knew that if the girl didn't wake up soon then it didn't look good for her, who knows how long she's already been out here and she needed fluids. _Fluids. That's it._ Char thought before reaching into her backpack and pulling out a bottle of water and a flannel. She drenched the flannel in water before using it to cool down the girls face and satisfied with the girls temperature being bought down she decided that they needed to try the recovery position as nothing had worked so far. So gently Charlotte moved the girl into the right position and stayed by her side just in case anything happened.

'Do you want the first watch or second?'Char asked Jess

'I'll take the fir...did you hear that?'

'What biters?' Char immediately stood up, bow in hand and began looking around

'I think she's waking up' Jess smiled moving closer to the girl, as Char bent back down she could see the girls eyelids slowly opening and her breathing return to a normal pace.

'Back up a bit, she's likely to be scared' Jess nodded and did as she was told 'Hey, little girl don't be scared, you're safe' Char whispered, hoping to ease the girls thoughts

The girl suddenly shot upright looking round her before noticing the two women. 'Please don't hurt me'she mumbled

'We won't sweetheart, we promise.'

'Where am I?' she asked shying back towards a tree, Char placed her weapons down on the floor and Jess followed.

'We're in a forest, my names Charlotte and this is Jessica, we found you unconscious and stayed with you to make sure you were safe'

'You helped me?'

'Of course' Jess smiled 'Would you like a drink?' she offered her water bottle to the girl

'Thank you' she smiled before slowly taking a few sips of water.

The two women gave the girl some food as well but decided it was best not to ask her too many questions that night as she was still most likely in shock.

'Normally we sleep up in trees, it makes sure that the biters don't get us. So if you like we can get settled up there now before it gets too dark and then come up with a plan tomorrow morning. Does that sound good?'

'Yeah okay'

Charlotte checked the area for the tree that seemed the sturdiest and found one with a wide trunk and thick climbed up first before helping the girl up and finally after one last sweeping look around the clearing Char joined them.

'What if I fall out?'

'Here take this belt and fasten t around you and the branch and you'll be fine' Char smiled

'Thank you. By the way we call them walkers not biters'

'We?' Jess asked

'Me, my mom and the rest of the group' Jess and Char just looked at each other, and made a silent agreement to do whatever they had to, to get this girl back to her people.

'What's your name sweetheart?' Char asked

'Sophia' she told them before drifting off into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The three girls survived the night with not so much as one biter even walking past their sleeping tree. To Jess and Sophia this seemed like a positive thing and were immediately cheerful but Char was different, she refused to let her guard down for one second. She had had the second watch so was already awake and had finished her breakfast by the time the others awoke, she helped them both out of the tree before handing them both the last remaining food from last night.

'So Sophia' Char started and the little girl looked up to her smiling 'Can you remember what happened?'

'We were on the highway searching for supplies when a herd of walkers arrived so we hid as best we could. I was under a car. I thought they had all gone but when I went to get out one of them saw me so started towards me and then another so I headed for the woods. Rick came after me.'

'He your dad?' Jess asked

Sophia shook her head 'No he's the sheriff, my dad's dead' she stated matter of factly. 'Anyway so Rick found me and hid me whilst he drew the walkers away and told me to wait for him and that if he didn't return to head back towards the highway but I got lost on my way back and hadn't eaten or drank in two days so I guess that's why I passed out'

'Well you're lucky we found you when we did and don't worry, we'll get you back to your people okay'

'You promise?'

'Of course' Sophia got up to hug Char and then Jess before taking a seat back down. 'Okay so this is the plan. We do still have a bit of food but it's all cereal and we need protein so I'm going to hunt for some rabbits or squirrel, there should be some around here but I want you two to go back in the tree okay'

'Charlotte no'

'We can help'

'No, now listen to me. I don't want to be gone too long cause I want us to have a full day or searching for your mom and everyone okay and no offence Jess but your foot is slowing us down. Don't get down if you see people or biters okay just stay hidden until I'm back'

'But what if you don't come back'

'I will but just in case I'm a bit slow then I want you two to start searching for your mom in three hours okay. Jess you have some dried food so you'll both be fine and you have your knife and Sophia, I want you to have this' Charlotte took the knife from the pouch on her back and handed it to the girl 'You shouldn't need to use it but remember it's always better to be safe than sorry'

'Won't you need it though?' Sophia asked hesitantly  
'Nah I prefer my bow and arrows and anyway everyone should have some sort of weapon'

Sophia threw her arms around the Charlotte 'Hurry back'

'I will sweetheart, now go on both of you get up in that tree'

At least an hour must have passed since Charlotte left the others in the tree but she knew that they would be safe with each other. In all honesty she was worried about herself. She'd never been more than a mile away from Jess since the apocalypse started and was feeling more paranoid than usual. So far all she had managed to shoot was two squirrels but one of them was only a scrawny little thing so knew that she had to find more before turning back. She decided that the best course of action was to head towards the stream, she's be able to fill up her water bottles and maybe catch a few fish if she was lucky.

Charlotte took off her boots and waded into the shallow stream, loading her bow and waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity to catch a few fish. A few fish started to swim to the right of her. She pulled the bow back, keeping her eye on her target before releasing the first arrow that pierced the fish in the eye

'Still a great shot' she mumbled to herself before repeating the action a second time and then a third, in total catching three fish which would be more than enough for their dinner tonight. She wrapped them up in a scarf and placed them carefully in her backpack. She was about to leave the stream and head back to Sophia and Jess when something caught her attention out the corner of her eye she could see a deer grazing on the bank the other side of the stream. She carefully placed an arrow in her bow and took a deep breath. Now that she concentrated on her target she realised that it must have only been a foal so internally debated about whether or not she could shoot it before realising that if she didn't, the biters would get to it anyway. She put all her focus into making this shot and as she released her arrow and it hit her target making the foal hit the ground she couldn't help but feel proud. Yes it would be difficult to carry back but it would be worth it. Once she cooked the meat it would keep for at least two days.

Charlotte was about to wade through the stream to retrieve her game but then noticed the rocks between her and the opposite side. She knew that if she took that route that she would be putting her life at risk and would most likely injure herself.

'Looks like it's the long way round' she sighed 'God I need to stop talking to myself, jeez there I go again...pull yourself together' she reminded herself as she stepped out of the stream and put her boots back on before finding a way around the stream and to the foal.

It seemed that luck was on her side for once as not ten minutes up the bank she found a small bridge that looked stable enough so began to walk across it, keeping an eye out for biters.

'Looks like someone found our dinner for us' she heard a man say as she approached the part of the bank where the foal would be.

'May as well take it, doesn't seem like anyone's around' another voice added. She watched them from behind a bush noting that there was 3 maybe 4 of them but it was hard to see from her position. As one of them pulled the arrow out she jumped up and yelled

'Back off that's mine!' _Shit, idiot, why did you do that?_ she asked herself, _not only have I put myself in danger of these men but also of biters that probably heard me._


	3. Chapter 3

'I said back off' Charlotte didn't know where this confidence had come from but all of a sudden she was walking towards the group of men with her bow and arrow pointed at them, all of them raised their weapons to her . 'I shot it, so it's mine'

'Screw that' one of them mouthed off pulling the arrow out and tossing it on the ground. Charlotte pulled the bow and arrow tighter

'Daryl leave it' one of the other men warned the redneck that had tried to take the foal 'I'm sorry ma'am, we didn't know that this belonged to you' Charlotte studied the four men in front of her, all of them had weapons and all of them could easily overpower her within seconds, she knew she wouldn't win in a fight.

'Are you alone?' asked a tall man with a shaved head

'Why do you wanna know?' Char asked not lowering the bow

'It's just a young girl, shouldn't be out here by herself, it's not safe'

'I can look after myself just fine'

'We can see that' the one that warned Daryl said 'Guys lower your weapons' he told the others, you could see that they were reluctant to do so but eventually all of them did, even Daryl though he hesitated the longest. 'Do you think maybe you could lower yours too, we won't hurt you'

'I've heard that before and sorry but I'm not taking any chances'

'Rick leave it she's not worth it' Daryl moaned

'Rick? Your names Rick?' Char questioned, the men all straightened up and Charlotte could see their grip tighten on their weapons

'Yes why?'

'You the sheriff?'

'I am'

'I found someone yesterday, a little girl, she said she had been chased by walkers she called them and that the sheriff Rick had gone after her and that she ended up lost in the woods'

'You found Sophia?' the bald one asked

'She's alive'

'Yeah she's safe, we were gonna start looking for her group today when I got back from hunting but I guess I don't have to anymore.' Char smiled

'Can you take us to her?' Rick asked

'Of course'

'This is Shane by the way' Rick told her indicating to the bald man 'And this here is T-Dog'

'Nice to meet you' T-Dog smiled 'Want me to carry the foal?' he offered

'You don't have to'

'It's fine' he said before lifting it off the ground.

They walked in silence for a few miles before they all heard a sound coming from the trees ahead of them. Two biters came limping out, blood oozing around their mouths, clearly having just fed. Char pulled her arm back before releasing an arrow which shot the first walker in the side of its head whilst at the same time another arrow zoomed past her head and hit the second right between the eyes. She looked around at Daryl, impressed at what she saw but that didn't change her opinion of him and the fact he seemed to be an arrogant prick. Daryl pushed past her and retrieved both of the arrows handing one back to Charlotte.

'How much further?' Shane asked after over an hour of walking

'Just through those trees' she pointed ahead

'Good'

'We never did ask your name' Rick commented

Char paused, not wanting to reveal too much of herself to these strangers but realised that whether they knew her name or not it wouldn't really make much difference 'Charlotte. My name's Charlotte but most people call me Char or Charlie'

'Here it is' she said stepping into the clearing 'Do you guys mind just waiting here?'

'Why can't we come all the way in?' Daryl snapped

'Rick?'

'Of course, we'll wait here' Rick could feel the daggers come from Daryl's direction as the rest of them watched Charlotte walk over to the largest tree.

'Hey, I'm back' Char smiled looking up towards the branches. 'You two can come down now and Sophia I've got a surprise for you' Char placed her bow down and reached up to help Sophia get out of the tree

'RICK' she shouted and ran towards the men at the edge of the group and wrapped her arms around Rick hugging him 'You're all here. We were gonna come find you today. Is my mom okay?'

'Your moms fine' Rick smiled 'And we're glad you are too'

'We should probably get you back kid, everyone's been worried sick' Shane told her

'Okay' Sophia nodded 'Are you guys coming?' she turned asking Jessica and Charlotte

'Sweetheart, I don't think we can. You're back with your people now, you're safe'

'Please. I don't want you two out here on your own, it's not safe and Jess is already hurt'

'We have a doctor. We have shelter. It's safe with us.' Rick explained

'I don't know' Char told them picking up her bow and putting one of Jess' arms around her shoulder to help support her

'Listen, it's not the world we used to know. It's dangerous and the people can be just as dangerous as the walkers but I think you already know this, at least come and get your friend checked over and stay the night then you can decide.'

'Okay we will'

'Jess!'

'What? I'm tired, I'm in pain and I'm sick of sleeping in trees. They seem like decent people, he's a sheriff for christ sake, we're going' Never in her life had Char seen Jess so determined and she wasn't about to leave her to go alone with these people so nodded her head and followed the group on the way back to their people.

After what felt like forever they came to a road where a car and bike were parked, it's alright for some Char thought.

'How are we gonna do this?' T-Dog asked

'I can take one person on my bike with me' Daryl said, taking a seat on it

'Okay then Charlotte, would you mind going with Daryl and the rest of us will be able to fit in the car.' Rick asked. Charlotte sighed, not happy with one, being separated from Jess and two, being stuck with the redneck.

'Fine' she said walking over and taking a seat behind Daryl

'You might wanna hold on' Daryl told her as he started the engine, reluctantly she put her arms around him 'Don't worry you weren't my first choice either' he told her before following the car back to wherever the hell they were staying.


	4. Chapter 4

'You're staying on a farm?' Charlotte asked as they approached the driveway

'You got a problem with that?' Daryl snapped, keeping his eyes forward

'It's just, it doesn't look very safe' she commented as he stopped the bike

'You can get off now' he moaned

'Arsehole' she muttered under her breath as she climbed off the bike and walked towards the car that Jess was in. As she did so she noticed people coming out of the house wow there's more than I thought there would be she thought.

'Who's this?' A blonde asked coming down the stairs 'We taking in more people now?' she asking looking Charlotte up and down

'Where's Carol?' Daryl asked joining the rest of the group

'Here I am' she said looking disheartened 'Anything?' she asked

'MOM!'

'Sophia!' Carol smiled running towards her daughter and embracing her, tears streaming down both of their faces and Charlotte noticed that others in the group had tears in their eyes as well.

'Oh, thank you so much for finding her' Carol beamed standing upright but not letting go of her daughters hands

'It wasn't us' T-Dog told her 'It was Charlotte and Jess' he smiled nodding his head towards me and Jess who had now got out of the car

'Thank you so don't know what this means to me' Carol surprised Charlotte by hugging her then Jess. 'How can I ever repay you both?'

'There's no need for that, honestly, I'm just glad we got her back to you guys' Charlotte told them

'Hershel' Rick said addressing an elderly gentleman, 'This here is Jess, she sprained her ankle a few days ago and I was wondering if you would take a look at it for her'

'Of course, come inside and we'll get you sorted' Charlotte told Jess to follow Hershel inside whilst she stayed outside to sort out arrangements with the rest of the group.

'Did you manage to find any food?' the blonde asked Daryl

'Not us but she did' he said gesturing towards me

'You guys are welcome to it, honestly there's more than enough to go around'

'I'd say' Shane said depositing the foal in front of Rick's group 'Definitely enough'

'Looks like we'll all eat well tonight' a brunette said as she linked hands with Rick

'I also have two squirrels and three fish. You can cook those as well'

'We can't take all your food' Rick told her

'In this heat, it will go off soon anyway so it's better that it all gets cooked tonight'

'Thank you, I'm Dale by the way, we don't have anymore tents at the moment but there will be room for you and your friend to stay in my RV'

'Thanks Dale, it's very much appreciated.

By nightfall, Charlotte and Jess had met everyone that was currently on the farm, those in Rick's group and those in Hershel's family. Jess seemed to be settling in more than Charlotte at this point though but that had always been the way. Jess was more friendly and trusting than her best friend but that's why they balanced each other out so much. Charlotte was currently sat outside around a campfire with Rick, T-Dog, Dale, Shane, Andrea (who was the blonde from before), Glenn, Daryl, Carol and Sophia. Everybody else was inside Hershels house. He had told Jess to stay on the sofa so that he could check on her ankle first thing. The thought of spending a night away from her best friend made Charlotte uneasy but she knew that there was no way around it.

'So Charlotte, I'm guessing from your accent you're not from here?' Rick asked

'No I'm from England'

'Wow long way from home' he commented

'Yeah, really long way. That's why we haven't really found anywhere safe to stay yet, we don't really know where we're going or where the hell anything is' she said in a light hearted manner trying not to depress anyone

'But you're with us now so you don't have to look anymore' Sophia smiled, Charlotte found it amazing how some people especially the children still had so much optimism even with everything else going on 'You are staying right?'

'We'll see'

'Sophia I think it's time for bed, don't you' Carol said taking her daughter off to their tent. She was thankful for that she didn't really want to keep having the same conversation about leaving again and again.

'So I don't mean to be rude' Shane started  
'But you will be' Glenn smirked

'How did you managed to survive for so long, I mean you don't know you're way around and it must have been hard just the two of you'

Char looked around noticing that everyone elses quiet conversations had come to an end and were all focused on her answers

'I mean you look quite young as well'

'Well I'm 21, so not exactly a child' she snapped 'Sorry and yeah it's been really hard. We came here on what was meant to be a fun holiday and were due to go home the day after everything went tits up but obviously flights were cancelled and panic ensued. As soon as I heard that the situation was getting bad, I couldn't just sit and wait to be killed and knew I had to do something. So I stole a car and started ransacking some stores.'

'How did you get your bow?' Andrea asked

'After a few days of driving, we went past an archery range and I remembered having lessons when I was younger so thought I'd see if there was anything left there that I could use as a weapon'

'You're a good shot' T-Dog praised

'Erm thanks' she had always felt weird about accepting compliments from other people

'One more question' T-Dog said

'I think that's enough for tonight, we're all tired and it's been a long day' Dale told him, clearly sensing that I was uncomfortable with talking

'Just one more, I promise, It's important' I nodded for T-Dog to continue 'When we found you, you said that people can be just as dangerous as the walkers. Why? What happened out there?'

'Well you know, most people are just out for themselves and will take what they want, not caring about how everyone else will survive and I guess I've just came across a few like that' Charlotte knew that everyone listening had figured out that there was more to the story than that but before they could ask anymore questions, she got up and headed into Dale's RV and settled down to the best sleep she'd had in weeks.


	5. Chapter 5

The following day Charlotte did her best to avoid socialising with these new people. She couldn't just trust someone over night especially in this new world. She stayed in the RV for most of the day, passing the time by reorganising her backpack and cleaning her weapons. Menial tasks but they were better than being asked endless amounts of questions. She sat at the table, staring out at the farm in front of her, she could tell that people had been talking about her as they were stood in a group and kept looking over to where the RV was parked. But what shocked her the most was that Jess was with them and looked happy.

Char tried to ignore this fact and continued cleaning and thinking about what their next move should be. Rick had told her that they could stay at the farm and become a permanent part of their group but Charlotte couldn't bring herself to agree. She knew what being in a group meant. Trouble. In one way or another, there is more chance of something going wrong along the way. Plus she refused to start caring about people. Not now. What was the point?

Jessica had taken to the people at the farm well. She actually felt really comfortable around them. Hershel had strapped up her foot and given her some painkillers, so she was able to walk a lot better but was still supposed to be taking it easy. She had spent most of the day with Hershel's daughters Beth and Maggie until Rick came over and told her that they all wanted to speak to her. This got her worried. Jess had believed that everything would be okay now that they were with a nice group and had somewhere safe to stay. She couldn't bear the thought of them asking her to leave. She slowly made her way over to where the whole group minus the kids were standing, even Hershel, Patricia and Maggie were there.

'Please don't make us leave' she blurted out before anyone had the chance to say anything

'No-one's asking you to leave' Carol smiled encouragingly at the girl

'Oh okay so what's this about then?'

'We just feel that, even though you have been making an effort and have fit well into the group, Char hasn't.' Rick explained

'Basically she's a moody bitch' Daryl commented

'Daryl that's not fair' Carol told him

'Sorry.' Rick apologised 'It's just she has left the RV all day and doesn't seem to want to talk to any of us and it's making a few people uncomfortable'

'Listen' Jess started 'Char is the strongest person that I know, she's battled depression and a hell of a lot of crap and that was before the world even went to shit. Yet she's still here and if it wasn't for her then I wouldn't be. The thing about Char is she has trust issues and a hell of a lot of them, hell I've known her for nearly 20 years and she doesn't fully trust me. It's not my place to say what she's been through but if you had gone through even half as much, I doubt any of you would be strong enough to carry on'

'Great so what you're saying is we now have a crazy person around camp' Daryl snarked

'You talking about me?' Char asked walking up behind the group 'I heard the word crazy so I'm guessing you're all deciding if I'm a hazard to be around' there was no anger or hurt in her voice, she was used to this treatment off people'

'Charlotte, we wasn't...'Lori said sympathetically

'Yeah we were, I just think we have a right to know who we have sleeping and eating next to us'

'You have a right to know who I am but not my life story. I doubt very much that you've shared tales from your childhood and life before the apocalypse with everyone else. So why should I tell you mine?!'

'You don't know anything about me!' Daryl told her, walking towards her

'And you don't know anything about me! And you never will!' Char retorted 'What you think you're the big I am, that people should be scared of you cause you walk around scowling at everyone when in reality you're just a redneck arsehole that blames all his problems on everyone around him'

'You know what screw you!' he yelled and walked off.

When Charlotte turned back around, she saw that everyone else in the group was stood there in stunned silence. 'Sorry' she mumbled and headed back to the RV. You need to stop being so mardy and opinionated she reminded herself but there was just something about Daryl that really riled her up. She heard the door to the RV open but couldn't bring herself to look up.

'You come here to yell at me?' she asked thinking it was most likely Rick that had walked in

'Nah, anyone that can hold their own against Daryl is alright by me' Glenn smiled, sliding in the seat opposite her

'Thanks Glenn but honestly I'm not in the mood to talk'

'I know, I just wanted to say don't blame Jess, we wanted answers and she didn't tell us anything anyway just that you'd been through a lot and have trust issues' when Char didn't say anything back to him, he decided that it was probably best to leave her be.

Charlotte couldn't bring herself to go and join everyone for dinner so just stayed cooped up in the RV, she knew that she'd probably end up snapping at someone and causing even more tension. 'Why can't I be more like Jess?' she asked herself but inside she knew the reason why and it was because someone had to be the strong one, the one to make hard decisions when the time comes.


	6. Chapter 6

They had been staying on Hershel's farm for two days and Charlotte wasn't finding it any easier to act friendly with these people. Hell even Jess was spending less time around her Guess she doesn't need me anymore Char thought. It pained her to admit it but she needed this group. She needed to stay here. She knew that out there on her own or even with Jess her days were numbered. Come on you can do this, just go out there and be helpful she tried to tell herself. After taking a deep breath and opening the door to the RV she walked over to one of the trucks where some of the group were looking over a map.

'Need any help?' she asked, taking the extra space next to Glenn, she noticed the shocked look on people's faces that she was actually making an effort and of course the distaste on Daryl's.

'We're going on a supply run today, you in?' Rick asked

'Yeah of course, just tell me what you want me to do' she told him forcing a smile

'I'm gonna go hunt' Daryl said picking up his crossbow and heading towards the stables

'On your own?' Andrea asked

'I'm faster on my own and I'll take a horse anyway'

'Okay so there are a few houses that we passed down the street, Shane and Andrea you take those, see if there's anything there you can salvage' Rick told them to which they both nodded in reply before loading up one of the cars.

'I can hit the town again that I went to with Maggie, we only hit a few places so we should still be able to bring back some stuff. Char?'

'Yeah let's go'

'Great, don't be too long. The rest of us will stay at the farm, maybe reinforce some of the fences if Hershel lets us'

Char sat in the passenger seat whilst Glenn drove them to a town, no more that 30 minutes away. As they drove she couldn't help but notice how normal their surroundings looked. There was not a body in sight or any biters for a split second she was able to forget about all of the horrors that she had seen. Char then turned her attention to her companion, he seemed like an alright guy, decent enough and clearly trusted by the group to go out on important runs but there was something in his face that made it seem like he was hiding something. She debated asking him but she was new so even if there was something he most likely wouldn't tell her. As Glenn pulled up outside a pharmacy, they checked out their windows for walkers but so far the place seemed empty

'So how do you wanna do this? If we split up we'll be quicker' Char said placing her bow over her shoulder

'But if we stay together we'll be safer'

'Okay'

'Good, we'll get the essentials first so pharmacy and then clothes, the weathers begining to change and we need to be ready for winter when it comes'

'What about food?'

'Already cleared it out, nothing left that would do us any good' he explained.

They entered the pharmacy carefully, keeping an eye out for any walkers that were hidden behind shelves but so far nothing. They decided it was best to just take everything that they could carry and ended up emptying most of the shop, only leaving the things they wouldn't need for example hair products. Does anyone really care if they look good anymore? They placed the medicines and bandages in the back seat of the car before crossing the road to enter the clothing shop. As they neared the doors, Char decided to peek in the window

'Walkers' she stated watching a group of them as they shuffled about

'How many?'

'Only 3 that I can see but there could be more. You up for this?' she asked knowing that not everyone was cut out for killing them, Glenn nodded taking out his knife 'You open the door and I'll go in first okay'

Glenn waited for Charlotte to load her bow before opening the doors. As soon as the light hit the walkers they turned round, hunger evident in their eyes and started to quicken their pace as they made their way to where the two humans stood. Char released her bow which hit the first walker in the head causing it to fall down to the floor. But before she could reload the second walker was on her. Inches from her face, she tried her best to push it off her but it was no good. Char refused to give up though and raised her knees to try and push the walker away giving her enough time to grab her knife. By the time the walker lunged back at her she had her knife ready and it slid into its eye and through it's brain.

'You okay?' Glenn asked, rolling the walker off her

'Yeah, guess I'm just out of practice with hand to hand, so used to using my bow. You okay? You're not bit or anything right?' she asked him

'Fine, took that one down after you got the first one' he said indicating the dead walker to his right 'Why don't you get the womens stuff and I'll get the mens' Char nodded and headed off to the womens section but not before removing the arrow from the dead walker. She didn't have enough to just leave them around after every kill.

Walking through the womens section, she couldn't help but miss her old life. She'd never get a chance to put a pretty dress on with some heels now it was all about practicality and wearing boring clothes. Luckily enough she seemed to have found the jackpot when it came to warmer clothes, well socks and scarves at least. There wasn't much in the way of jumpers but she grabbed what she could figuring that they could all layer up when the cold weather really hit.

On the way back to the farm, pleased with their haul Char couldn't help but notice that Glenn seemed to be having an inner debate with himself again and kept looking as if he wanted to say something but then changing his mind at the last minute. After the fifth time of this happening she just had to speak up

'Either you have something to say or you don't'

'It's just...'

'Spit it out!'

'There's walkers in the barn'

'WHAT?' she yelled making Glenn jump and causing him to stall the car 'How? What? Are you sure?'

Glenn nodded sheepishly 'I saw them myself the day before you arrived'

'Who else knows?'

'Only Dale, he told me he would speak to Hershel about it. But it's been eating me up inside, I couldn't just sit on this even though Maggie asked me not to say anything'

'Just get us back to the farm Glenn, we can't keep a secret like this to ourselves.'


	7. Chapter 7

Guys they're back!' they heard T-Dog call as Glenn drove up the driveway.

'Are the others back yet?' Glenn asked stepping out the car

'Yeah why?'

'Get everyone together now' T-Dog looked confused but went and gathered everyone by the tents so that by the time Charlotte and Glenn walked over they were all waiting

'Did you not manage to get anything?' Carol asked concerned. Char looked at Glenn urging him to tell the group, it wasn't her place to say anything

'Thereswalkersinthebarn'

'What?' Andrea questioned

'There's walkers in the barn'

The whole group turned their heads towards the barn that was located near to the main house. Panic and shock evident on all of their faces. Char looked around at each person individually and could see that none of them knew what to do or say that was until she got to Shane. It was as though something had come over him and before she knew if he was off, running towards the barn.

'SHANE STOP!' Rick called after him as they all ran to try and stop him from opening those doors. 'SHANE THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO DO! LET ME AT LEAST SPEAK TO HERSHEL FIRST'

'WHY? THEY ARE WALKERS RICK! I SAY WE GO IN THERE AND KILL THEM ALL NOW'

'It's not as simple as that, Hershel sees them as people, his wife and stepson' Dale explained

'Wait you knew?' Rick asked

'Glenn told me so I spoke to Hershel'

'And you kept this from us?' Andrea asked

'I figured, we were safe so far so what would one night matter'

'Shane stop!' Rick said as he saw his best friend edge closer to the doors 'I know what you're all thinking but please let me speak to Hershel before we take any actions. If we want to stay on this farm, we have to be considerate'

'There's being considerate Rick and then there's being a fool' Andrea told him as she walked off to take watch on the RV.

Slowly everyone else started to disperse except for T-Dog who Rick had asked to stay on guard in front of the barn to make sure that no-one, well mainly Shane entered. As Char walked back up to where their camp was set up she could see Daryl glaring at her from his tent. What is his problem? she thought before going to find Jess. She found her out by the chicken coop with Beth. She couldn't help but notice how chummy they seemed and this started to worry Charlotte. As Charlotte approach she saw Jess laughing at something Beth had said

'What's so funny?'

'Oh nothing' Jess smiled, stifling another laugh

'I just wondered if you wanted to go for a walk around the farm Jess'

'Erm actually I was going to help Beth with dinner'

'Oh okay, could I at least speak to you for a minute first' Jess nodded and followed Char over to the stables 'Are you pissed at me or something?'

'What? No of course not' Jess defended herself

'Really because it seems to me you have been avoiding me, every time I see you, you're with Beth and I just don't get it'

'Of course you don't get it, you're fine being on your own but not me'

'You weren't on your own though, we had each other'

'Being with one other person isn't the same as being in a group. I like it here Charlotte, I really do and I like these people. I know that it isn't easy for you to trust people and that you are used to looking after yourself but if you keep on like that you will get yourself killed!' Charlotte was speechless, she had no idea that this was how her best friend felt and it upset her. She had believed that they were fine on their own

'I did my best' Char mumbled

'I know that and I wouldn't even be standing here if it wasn't for you but, it's getting harder out there to survive so maybe it's for the best for us to stay here. I can tell you've thought about it else you wouldn't have gone with Glenn into town but it takes more than that to become a part of a team. You need to be friendly and not distance yourself and try not to get into any more arguments.'

'I'm trying my hardest but it's not like I can just flip a switch and be okay after everything, you know what forget it. I'm doing what I can. I know that we will be better off in this group but I still have my reservations' Char said walking off back to the RV, as she did she walked past Carl and Sophia who were talking together by one of the trees.

'Carl what have you got there?' she asked as she approached them

'Nothing' he lied as he hid something behind his back

'Sophia?'

'It's a gun' she told Charlotte, not meeting her gaze

'Carl! What the hell are you doing with a gun. Give it here now!' Carl reluctantly handed the gun over 'Where did you even get it?'

'The RV but please don't tell my parents, they'll kill me'

'Carl I'm sorry but I have to, I'm going to have to tell your mom too Sophia'

'It wasn't her fault, I was just showing it to her'

'You two just wait here and try not to get into anymore trouble.'

Carol and Lori were folding up the groups clean clothes when Char walked over to them 'Where's Rick?' she asked

'Here I am' he said walking out of his tent 'What's up?'

'I just took this away from Carl and Sophia' she told them holding out the gun

'WHAT?' Carol and Lori shouted at the same time, the kids clearly heard them as they bowed their heads in shame

'Carl said he took it from the RV and he says that he was only showing it to Sophia and that she wasn't a part of it but I just thought you should all know'

'Thank you' Rick said taking the gun and placing it in his jeans 'We'll go deal with this now'

Charlotte watched from afar as Rick, Lori and Carol spoke to their kids, wondering if she had done the right thing. She thought back to giving Sophia the knife but that was different, they were in the woods and she needed protection but to be hiding a gun is a completely different matter, what if the safety had of been off, they could have hurt themselves or someone else and that's the last thing any of them need especially when Carl is only just recovering from a gun shot wound himself.

That night, everybody seemed uncomfortable and on edge. Now that they were all aware of the walkers in the barn none of them were able to rest. All Rick had told them was that he was sorting out the situation with Hershel, but that could mean anything. One things for sure nothing would be the same after the events of the next day.


	8. Chapter 8

'Where is he?'

'hmm what?' Char asked groggily, she hated being woken up more than anything

'Where is he?' she opened her eyes and saw Shane looming over her 'Dale?'

'How am I supposed to know. Why do you want him?'

'Just forget it' Shane said storming out of the RV. There was something going on with Shane but Charlotte didn't know what, she just had a bad feeling about the guy and didn't trust his actions one bit. The fact he was so angry about finding Dale had her worried and she knew that she needed to find him before Shane did.

Charlotte hurried to get dressed, grabbed her bow & arrows and went off in search for Dale. Most of the group were busy doing chores as they liked to put it, when in reality they were distraction so that they could feel like they had some sense of a normal life still. Char's eyes scanned the farm but there was no sign of Dale so she looked towards the woods and sighed, knowing that she was going to have to go in there. As she went to go towards the woods she saw a figure walking out, but it was too tall to be Dale. Shane. Shane was walking towards the camp with what looked like the bag of guns over his shoulder and a mean, coniving look on his face.

'Where's Dale?' she asked him as he stormed past her 'Shane if you hurt him...'

'What? What exactly would you do about it?' he loomed over her trying to intimidate her 'Don't worry Dale is fine but maybe you should be more careful with the way you speak to me' he nodded over her shoulder Charlotte was conflicted, she didn't know whether to follow Shane or go to Dale.

'GO!' Dale shouted and pointed to where Shane was now handing out guns. Char knew that she had to try and stop this from escalating any further, most of the group was gathered together now, some trying to calm Shane down, others just trying to find out what's happening.

'SHANE PUT THE GUNS AWAY!' Rick yelled, trying to get a hold of the situation

'NO. THIS NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH NOW. SO EITHER YOU'RE ALL GONNA HELP OR YOU'RE JUST GONNA STAND AND MOAN BUT EITHER WAY THAT BARN DOOR IS BEING OPENED AND THE WALKERS WILL BE DEALT WITH'

'Shane, listen to me, this is Hershel's farm, we can't do this'

'Rick's right' Lori spoke up 'You do this now and we lose our chance of staying here'

'I DON'T CARE'

'Glenn, go get Hershel tell him what's happening' Rick told him as Shane started passing out guns to Andrea, T-Dog even Daryl. No-one else would take them from him.

'What's going on? Why do your people have guns out on my property?' Hershel demanded as he and his family joined the group

'You may be okay with endangering your families lives by having a barn full of walker but I'm not' before anyone could react, Shane had ran to the barn door and pulled it open.

As the first walker came out Shane didn't hesitate to shoot it in the head causing screams to come from Hershel and his family. Shane retreated as more and more walkers filed out, feet dragging across the floor, dried blood around their mouths, ragged clothes, feral sounds. There was nothing else to do but to take them down. One by one Andrea, T-Dog, Daryl, Glenn, Rick and Charlotte joined Shane and started aiming for the walkers. Watching them fall to the floor. When the last walker fell, there was silence in the air, only broken by the desperate sounds coming from Hershel.

'Look what you've done' Patricia sighed

'How could you?' Maggie asked Glenn

'I had no choice'

'We need to get these moved' Rick told the group

'Mom...no mom' Beth said as she made her way past the dead walkers and knelt beside a middle aged woman 'Mom' she cried. Jess followed her to comfort her and support her, she knew that these people had held onto hope for as long as possible and now had to face reality.

That was when a guttural moan came from Beth's mother right before she latched on and took a bite out of the screaming girl.

'NO!'

T-Dog and Rick sprang into action as did Andrea as they tried to push the two girls out of the way so that Andrea could get a clear shot of the walker. Pandemonium ensued, they thought that all the walkers had been killed but clearly they had missed one.

'Hershel we need you!' Rick called 'Hershel' but the vet just sat there, defeated on the ground, it hadn't sunk in that this scene had just played out.

'Daddy please' Maggie begged trying to pull him up but it was no use, he wouldn't budge or take his eyes off the sea of dead walkers in front of him.


	9. Chapter 9

'NO!' Char screamed, watching the scene unfold in front of her. No this couldn't be happening. She tried to tell herself that there was no way that what she was seeing was real. No. A walker couldn't be biting her best friend. But it was real. As Jess had tried to comfort her new friend Beth, the walker that had been Beth's mother had lifted her head and used her black rotted teeth to latch onto Jess' arm causing the girls scream to echo throughout the farm.

'Daryl stop her' Carol called but Daryl didn't need telling as soon as Jess got bit he moved past everyone else to grab hold of Char, try as she might to get out of his grip he wouldn't let her instead holding on tighter.

'Hershel we need you! Hershel! Rick called

'Daddy please' Maggie begged even though everyone on that farm knew that even if Hershel did help that there was nothing he could do. They had all seen Jess get bit.

'Rick what do we do?' Lori asked as she cradled her crying son

'We need to move her away from the bodies, T-Dog get her other arm' Rick told him as he bent down to help Jess up

'Will she be okay?' Beth whimpered, still naive to the world around her

The group including Beth followed Rick and T-Dog up to where their camp was set up and lay Jess down, trying to make her as comfortable as possible. Daryl was the last one to arrive, still holding Char in his arms, he didn't know what she'd do. He knew what grief could do to a person and he didn't exactly trust her as it was.

'Char' Jess whispered, her breaths becoming more ragged 'Char please'

Char just shook her head, not able to move from where she was standing. The one person from her previous life was leaving her. Leaving just like everyone does in the end.

'Remember our pact, you promised' Jess begged 'Don't let me turn into a monster'

Char looked into her best friends eyes and could see the pain in them, not just physical but emotional, she knew that she was letting her friend down. She turned round to face Daryl, he loosened his grip so it was easier for her and she looked into his eyes, pleading with him. Daryl looked down at the girl, knowing what she was asking him to do and nodded, knowing that it had to be done. He slowly let go of Charlotte and walked towards Jess before taking lifting his gun up

'I'm sorry' Charlotte whispered and closed her eyes as she heard the gun go off and her best friend take her last breath. She was gone. Char felt like her whole world had come crashing down. She felt alone. She had no ties with the group. Jess had been the one to make an effort and befriend them. Charlotte stood there, not moving, her thoughts were too erratic for her to make any decisions, she knew she should bury Jess but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

'Charlotte' Dale whispered, placing a hand on the girls shoulder, she hadn't noticed that most people had already filtered away 'I'm so sorry for your loss. I just thought I'd let you know that some of the others are already digging so that we can give her a proper burial'

'Thank you Dale' she said looking up at the older man, she could see genuine concern in his face and couldn't believe that a stranger could be so nice

'Would you like me to stay or come back when we're ready?'

'Come back' she mumbled to which he nodded and walked off to join the rest of the group.

'How is she?' Glenn asked as he shovelled more dirt out of the grave he was digging

'Not good, I don't think she has fully processed what has happened yet'

By late afternoon the graves had been dug and everybody was gathered around prepared to say goodbye to yet more people.

'Why are there three graves?' Charlotte asked Daryl as she went to stand by him

'Hershel's wife and stepson are being burried as well' he explained.

Charlotte listened to Hershel and his family say a few words about their loved ones before noticing that people were looking towards her. That's when she realised, they were all expecting her to speak up about Jess but when she didn't Beth took it upon herself to say something instead

'I never knew Jess for long but in the short time that she'd been on this farm I had grown close to her and could see us becoming good friends. She was friendly to everyone and never had a bad word to say about anyone. She was a good person and didn't deserve to die. I know that she cared a lot about you Charlotte, she told me so herself. Goodbye Jessica'

Char was planning to stay by her best friends grave all night but Dale steered her away and towards their camp. Hershel and his family had gone inside to grieve in peace whilst Rick's group were trying to carry on like normal. It was easier for them though, they hadn't lost anyone that they were close to. Dinner that night was a somber affair, everyone glancing at Charlotte every now and again to see how the girl was doing. She hadn't spoke to anyone since the burial and now just sat staring into space. Carol had placed a bowl of food in her hands but she hadn't touched it. She couldn't bring herself to.

Slowly one by one, the group started to disperse into their tents. Daryl was first on watch so just before he climbed onto the RV Dale pulled him aside

'Keep an eye on her' he told Daryl indicating to Charlotte who still hadn't moved from the seat by the fire

'She aint my responsibility old man' Daryl snapped climbing up and looking out, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger. He couldn't help himself though and every few minutes he found himself, looking down at Charlotte, checking that she was okay. He knew what Merle would say if he could see him now 'You gone soft baby brother, stop acting like a pussy, why you letting a girl get in your head, she's nothing to you' But Daryl cared, as much as he tried to hide it, he cared about this group including their new addition.


	10. Chapter 10

By the time Glenn came to swap shifts with Daryl, he was ready to get to bed. He had only had a few hours sleep the night before and after the events of today it had taken it out of him. He had to walk past Charlotte to get to his tent but avoided looking at her, knowing that if it was him, he would hate to have people constantly staring.

'How do you do it?' Char whispered so that only Daryl could hear, he turned round to face her making sure that she was talking to him and not herself 'How do you do it Daryl?'

'Do what?'

'Keep going'

Daryl sighed at the site in front of him, she was still curled up tightly in one of Dale's foldaway chairs, arms wrapped around her legs and staring into the small fire. Part of him just wanted to go back to his tent but he couldn't bring himself to just walk away so took the seat next to her and placed his crossbow at his feet.

'You just do, this is the world we live in now we just have to get used to it and move on'

'I've lost everyone though, I have nothing left'

'That's not true' Daryl told her as she glanced up at him 'You have this group and you're still alive aint you, so there you have it you have your life'

'I let her down, I made her a promise and couldn't even stick to it, I'm a coward'  
'No you're just human'

'You don't get how hard it is Daryl. I'm miles away from my family, most of them are in England. I'm never going to know if they're alive or dead. I'm never going to get to see my mom again. Jess was the last thing I had tying me to my old life and now she's gone too.'

Daryl didn't know how to respond, he hated moments like this, talking about feelings and opening up, he didn't see the point in them. He wished that he had just ignored her and carried on walking to his tent.

'I have a son you know' Char told him, this shocked Daryl, she'd never once mentioned it and she looked too young to have one 'He doesn't live with me, I should say didn't. I gave his father full custody. I was fine with it at first as I still got to see him regularly but then he got offered a job and moved to the states so I only get to see him once a year. I wanted to fight, it killed me to see him go but I just couldn't put him through that. That's why I was here. I came to see my boy and thought I'd bring my best friend for support you know. At the end of my time with him though I thought it would be fun for me and Jess to have a few days doing some girly stuff and having a little break ourselves. If I had just stayed with my son for three more days, I would be with him right now. I'd know if he was safe.'

'Why did you give him full custody?'

'To give him his best shot at having a good life'

'And that wouldn't have been with you?'

Char shook her head 'I was barely 18 when I had him, I couldn't provide for him, I was a wreck, I couldn't look after myself let alone a needed stability in his life. I know you think I'm crazy' she mumbled causing Daryl to think back to the argument the had on one of the first days she was here 'but I'm not, I've just had my fair share of problems and didn't want my son growing up around them. I thought I was doing what was best. Now I'm not so sure. Not a day goes by Daryl when I don't think about what life would have been like if I had raised him'

'What's your sons name?' Daryl asked bringing a smile to Charlotte's face

'Jackson'

'Don't give up on finding him.'

'What?' she asked shocked

'If we are still alive so could he be, you trusted his dad with raising him so he would have done everything in his power to keep that boy alive'

'Thank you' Char told him

'For what?'

'Listening, I'm gonna try and get some sleep now' she yawned and pulled her hood up

'Not going in the RV?'

'Don't wanna disturb anyone' Daryl nodded

'Take my tent' before she could decline he added 'Just take it before I change my mind' Charlotte gave him a weak smile and headed over to where Daryl's tent was but before going in she turned round 'You're a good man Daryl'

He wished that he could believe her but all his life he was told and made to believe that he wasn't. Hell even in the zombie apocalypse people still treated him like the dirt on the bottom of their shoes. Daryl stayed up for a while longer thinking about everything he had just been told. He had no idea what it must be like for her, not knowing if her son is okay. It was at that moment he realised that he respected Charlotte because she was strong enough to make the decisions that most people couldn't.

Come morning Daryl headed to his tent, he needed to change so that he could go and hunt but Charlotte hadn't come out of his tent yet. He walked over nervously and opened the tent flaps, as the light seeped in he could see her small body curled up under his sleeping bag, she looked so peaceful and beautiful, wait beautiful why am I thinking of her like that Daryl cursed himself in his head.

'Char, wake up' he said softly, that's when he noticed one of her hands clinging to a picture. He bent down slowly and carefully took it out of her hands and focused on the image. It was of Char looking carefree and happy with her arms around a little boy. This must be her son he thought. He could see the resemblence between them clear as day. Daryl wished that he could bring her son to her like he did with Sophia and Carol but he knew that even though he told her not to give up last night that the chances of them ever seeing each other again were slim to none.

'That's Jackson' Char mumbled startling Daryl who hadn't noticed that she had been watching him

'Sorry, I just came in cause I need to get changed'

'Of course, what's going on today?'

'Well Rick said that he was going to speak to Hershel about what happened yesterday and take it from there.'

'Okay well thanks for letting me sleep in here last night' she said as she excited his tent. Daryl sighed and got changed into clean clothes before realising that he still had the picture of Charlotte and Jackson.


	11. Chapter 11

Come afternoon, everyone seemed to be back to normal, well as normal as things could be in the zombie apocolypse. Char kept to herself mostly except for a few hours that she had spent on watch with Dale. She enjoyed spending time with him as he didn't pressure her to talk or send her patronising looks every two minutes. At what she guessed was about 2 o'clock, Rick came walking out of the farm house and headed towards one of the wells. Charlotte decided that she needed to talk to him so followed him

'Hey' she called catching up to him

'How you feeling?' he asked, concern evident in his voice, Char could tell that Rick was one of those people that genuinly did care about others and that was rare these days

'Okay, still feel kind of numb to everything but I can't change what's happened' Rick nodded 'I just wanted to apologise'  
'What for?' he asked confused

'For yesterday, after the barn incident I just kind of shut down and didn't help out or anything when should have'

'Charlotte no-one expected you to start doing laundry or cooking, you lost your best friend, everybody needs to have time to grieve, so don't apologise for being human'

'Thanks Rick' she smiled 'Have you spoke to Hershel?'

Rick sighed 'He was adamant that he wanted us off the farm last night when I spoke to him but this morning I don't know, he just kept saying that he was stupid and robbed his daughters of the chance to grieve properly and come to terms with what's happening. I think maybe Maggie spoke to him and tried to convince him to let us stay which luckily he has agreed to for now but...but he doesn't trust Shane, he said that if Shane does one more thing then we're all out'

Everyone seemed to walk on egg shells for the next two days, unsure of what to say to each other and none of them wanted to risk upsetting Hershel even more so stayed as far away from the farm house as possible. That was until Maggie and Beth made their way over to the survivors campsite

'Morning girls can we help you with something?' Dale asked

'We want to invite you all in for dinner tonight' Maggie told them

'What about your Dad?' questioned Carol

'We've spoke to him already and he's agreed to it'

'Are you sure?'

'It's not just up to him and he sees that now' Beth said before turning round and heading back towards the house, as soon as Maggie went to follow her sister, Glenn got up so that he could speak to her in private

'Maggie' he called to make her stop and turn around 'You okay?'

'Yeah why?'

'What did you say to your Dad to convince him?'

'I told him that he needed to change the way he was treating your group and that if he decided to make you leave that I'd be going with you' she told him shyly

'Really? You would leave with us? Me?'

'Of course' she smiled before pulling him closer and pressing her lips against his

'Oi lovebirds, hurry up we've got shit to do' Daryl shouted walking past them and towards the cars 'Who's going into town today then?' he asked Rick as he loaded his crossbow

'Shouldn't need more than 3 or 4 of us so whoever wants to I guess'

'I'd like to go' Char told them

'Are you sure?' Rick asked still concerned about how she was holding up after the events at the barn

'Yeah I think it would do me good to have a change of scenery, take my mind of things' she smiled to which Rick nodded

'Okay so you two and Glenn then?'

'Fine by me' Daryl said using the car keys to unlock the car

'Don't you think we should find some more petrol for the cars whilst we're out there?'

'Gas' Daryl sighed

'What?' she asked

'You're in America it's gas not petrol' he smirked

'Whatever' she shrugged before sitting in the passenger seat.

'What are we actually getting today?' Char asked as she watched the fields roll by

'There's a small food store just outside the town we went to the other day, hopefully there will still be some supplies that we can grab'

The three of them checked the street for walkers as they parked outside the store but lucky for them there was none in sight. As they walked into the store they saw that the majority remained untouched.

'Maybe we should all take a trolley and just fill up on what we can'

'Cart' Daryl commented, a small smile evident on his face

'Seriously, how long are you gonna keep this up?'

'Till you start using the right words' he pushed a cart towards her 'Come on you need to take your cart' he said teasing her again

'When you guys have quite finished' Glenn chucked walking past them, knowing he was in for a long morning.

That night, everyone made their way into the dining room at the farm house, all of them could feel the tension in the room as they took their seats. The begining of their meal, even though delicious was ate in complete silence, and not the comfortable kind either. About half way through Patricia decided to speak up to at least try and diffuse the tension. 'You guys have been here a while and I feel like we still don't know you all that well'

Dale was the first to speak up followed by T-Dog and Glenn. 'What about you Lori, we know you have Rick and Carl but what about other family before all this happened?' Patricia asked

'Not much to tell really, my Dad retired two years ago in Florida, I guess you'd say I was a complete daddy's girl growing up' she smiled, thinking about memories of her dad  
'What about your mom?' Beth mumbled

'I didn't know her, she was never around'

'That's one thing I'll never understand' Andrea snapped 'How can anyone but especially a mother be so selfish as to abandon their own child. It's so awful to think about. What kind of person could do that and live with that decision.'

'Shut up Andrea!' Char started

'Excuse me?'

'You have no idea what you are talking about so before you go shouting your mouth off about situations which you know nothing about and keep your narrow minded opinions to yourself' she shoved her chair away from the table and stormed outside before anyone could see the tears forming in her eyes, but someone had already noticed. As soon as the topic was bought up, Daryl kept his gaze fixed on Charlotte watching the range of emotions play across her face.


End file.
